A Class Room

There was only one winner in last year’s Indoor Tennis Facility category for the Racquet Sports Industry/American Sports Builders Association’s Facility-of-the-Year Awards. But it was a grand project: Seven existing outdoor courts on the roof deck of a recreational center at Emory University in Atlanta were converted to six cushioned hard courts inside a new metal frame building — on top of the same center.

In addition to the six courts, the enclosed space also includes offices, bathrooms, workout areas, and aerobics rooms. Plus, a two-court unit was designed for volleyball and basketball use during the off-season.

The existing roof deck, which was leaking, consisted of two layers of concrete with insulation and a waterproof membrane in between. For the new construction, everything was removed down to the lower layer of concrete, new waterproofing and insulation were installed, and a new top layer of concrete was poured. Then the new metal building frame was installed on top of the structure. Because the building below remained occupied during construction, most of the materials needed to be lifted onto the deck with large cranes.

The result, though, is a new indoor facility that is at the top of its class.